The present invention relates to a practice aid for golfers, more particularly a practice golf mat which is capable of pivoting to visually indicate the path of travel of the golf club as it hits a ball off the golf mat.
The intricacies of the game of golf are such that a goiter is required to put in innumerable hours of practice in order to obtain and maintain a desired level of proficiency. One of the important factors in improving one's golf game is the path of the club head as it strikes the golf ball. Failure to consistently swing the golf club such that the club head travels along the desired path will impart movement to the golf ball which will cause it to hook or slice, depending upon the club head path.
Although swinging the club along the proper path is extremely important to establishing and maintaining a consistent golf game, as a practical matter, it is one of the most difficult elements of the game to practice properly. In fact, it is virtually impossible for a golfer to observe and analyze the path of club head travel during his swing without resorting to professional instruction, or expensive and complicated video taping systems. Many golfers are simply unable to afford the time of a professional instructor, nor can they afford the expense of complex video taping systems.
Practice golf mats are known which simulate the feel of actual turf and which may include movable portions to avoid inducing severe shocks to the golfer caused by contact between the club head and the golf mat. In such known golf mats, the movable portion will typically move only in one direction and will automatically return to its initial position after the contact between the club head and the golf mat. Such golf mats provide no indication to the golfer of the path of his swing, since they automatically return to their initial positions before the golfer can view the golf mat.